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NHL | Darren Dreger | Toronto Maple Leafs

A Year of Changes in Toronto

Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) | TSN Hockey Analyst


Kyle Dubas, Getty Images

*Flashback* It's the 2012-2013 Playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs in the shortened NHL Regular Season, which was due to the NHLPA Strike. With a record of 26-17-5, good enough for 57 points, the Maple Leafs sneaked into fifth place in the Eastern Conference and punched their ticket into the first round, a matchup that would see them face the Bruins. The Bruins came out hard, but led by the excellent play of James Reimer, the Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a game seven. Midway through the third period, it looked as though Toronto would finally be moving on to the second round of the playoffs as they had a 4-1 lead over the Boston Bruins. However, Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins had other intentions, and the Maple Leafs would lose in stunning fashion to the Boston Bruins 6-5 in Overtime. *End Flashback*

The monumental collapse against the Boston Bruins was the game that Toronto Maple Leaf fans began to lose hope. They saw the game as a foreshadowing of things to come, and boy, were they ever right. The Toronto Maple Leafs showed glimpses of promise at the beginning of the 2013-2014 Regular Season, and it looked as if new addition Jonathan Bernier could carry them back into the playoffs for a chance of redemption.

Ultimately, however, the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans suffered through yet another season of highs and lows, that ended with the Toronto Maple Leafs finishing eighth last in the entire National Hockey League. Toronto finally managed to catch some traction in the draft, as they nabbed up smooth skating William Nylander with the eighth overall pick, but at the beginning of the 2014-2015 season the free fall continued.

Dave Nonis, then the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was forced to fire Coach Randy Carlyle early into the 2014-2015 campaign to try to spark the players. The players, however, didn't respond and even went on a ten game losing streak in the month of January under interim coach Petr Horachek that all but sealed their fate yet again. With the Leafs destined to miss the playoffs for the second straight year, GM Dave Nonis decided to stand pat and made no indication that he was going to make any trades throughout the rest of the year; a decision that would ultimately cost Nonis his job in late January.

With the Maple Leafs mired in a losing streak throughout the month of January that saw them earn only 3 points in fifteen games, Maple Leafs President Tim Leiweke and Chairman Larry Tanenbaum wasted no time promoting Kyle Dubas to a full-time General Manager position after firing Dave Nonis. Kyle Dubas served as the assistant General Manager for the 2014-2015 NHL Regular Season before taking over for Nonis on February 2nd, 2015.

Dubas served the past three seasons as General Manager of the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Dubas is only 28 years of age and his age is a rarity among General Managers in the National Hockey League today. With Dubas entering his first (partial) season as a full-time General Manager, he set the tone of the franchise early, as he made it clear that changes were to be made in Toronto.

After another month of losing throughout the month of February, where the Leafs gathered just another 4 points in fourteen games, Dubas set his foot down and promised the team that changes would be made, and the team's direction would change, if things didn't get better. And things did change.

Approaching the trade deadline, on February 24th 2015, Dubas made a massive trade with the Nashville Predators and their General Manager David Poile when he traded often-injured left winger Joffery Lupul and controversial defensemen Cody Franson to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Nashville's First Round Pick in 2015 and undersized goaltending prospect Jusse Saros.

While many fans cried outrage in Toronto that Dubas, a first year General Manager, was blowing up their team less than a month into his tenure, the trade was that of a calculated veteran GM that worked out well for both sides. Nashville added potent scoring punch with Joffery Lupul, and brought in yet another solid defender by adding two-way defensemen Cody Franson.

When healthy, Joffery Lupul had been great for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as he tallied 74 goals and 164 points in 205 games playing both first and second line minutes. However, Lupul had also left a lot on the table with his time in Toronto, as he had missed 81 games due to multiple injures such as a back injury, a blood infection, and a separated shoulder among other injuries. The Predators added a great scoring forward who contributes offensively when healthy, but also isn't a defensive liability. The Toronto Maple Leafs, on the other hand, got rid of a player that had missed one game out of every four games in a season for their team.

The Predators also added defensemen Cody Franson, who was easily the top defensemen for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014-2015 Regular Season. Franson was approaching unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2014-2015 Season, and Dubas finally pulled the trigger on the widely speculated Franson trade.

The Toronto Maple Leafs also fared well in the trade by picking up Nashville's First Round Pick in 2015. While a first round pick doesn't sound very enticing for a first or second line winger and a top four defensemen, the Predators were struggling in the National Hockey League and were sitting in fifth last in the league.

With a deep draft headlined by Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and Noah Hanifin, the Maple Leafs are poised to get a solid player from the pick. Another addition the Maple Leafs snatched up in the trade was prospect goaltender Jusse Saros.

While Saros is on the smaller size by NHL standards, checking in at 5'11" and 180 pounds, he recently led his home country Finland to a gold medal in the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships. Saros, who was a fourth round draft pick (99th Overall) by the Nashville Predators, has a chance at becoming a mainstay in the crease in the National Hockey League.

While Leaf fans were busy calling outrage, Dubas was already putting another trade in the works with the Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall. Back in the 2012 Offseason, then-Leafs General Manager Brian Burke traded defensemen Luke Schenn to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for left winger James Van Riemsdyk, which was the last big splash made between both clubs.

Hextall, who was pursuing goaltender James Reimer, was believed to be offering centre Vincent Lecavalier, Philadelphia's Third Round Pick in 2015, and Philadelphia's Fourth Round Pick in 2015. Due to the injury of Steve Mason, the Flyers found themselves in a hole heading into the playoffs, and they were pursuing young netminders from around the league.

It is believed that the Flyers were also inquiring about Martin Jones from the Los Angeles Kings, but the price was believed to be too high. The Kings were apparently looking for a good offensive prospect and a high draft pick in exchange for their young backup.

With James Reimer on the trading block in Toronto, Hextall pursued James Reimer up until the trade deadline. Dubas, however, was almost through finalizing a deal with the Minnesota Wild and their General Manager Chuck Fletcher. It is believed that Fletcher was offering up young winger Erik Haula in exchange for goaltender James Reimer and either Leo Komarov or David Booth.

However, Ron Hextall called Kyle Dubas desperate to make a deal, yet Dubas was not willing to trade Reimer unless a young prospect or player was on the table. Hextall, with time running out, finally offered up a young defensemen to Toronto: Shayne Gotisbehere.

In the end, Dubas decided to walk away from Fletcher's offer and pulled the trigger on a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and GM Ron Hextall, sending goaltender James Reimer and Toronto's Third Round Draft Pick in 2016 to Philadelphia in exchange for young prospect defensemen Shayne 'Ghost' Gotisbehere.

The Flyers ultimately fulfilled their needs of a goaltender and acquired one that can challenge Steve Mason for the starting role in Philadelphia. Philadelphia also has a chance at obtaining a quality prospect with the third round pick acquired from Toronto.

Toronto, on the other hand, adds a stud defensive prospect to the system who is close to playing in the National Hockey League. Gotisbehere, Philadelphia's third round pick in 2012 (78th overall), has blossomed into a great defensive prospect who is great at transitioning into offense and moving the puck.

The Leafs and Dubas did a great job bringing in quality prospects and a potentially high first round draft pick, and came away 'winners' from the trade deadline for the first time in years. The Maple Leafs would eventually finish the 2014-2015 Season with a 37-38-7 record, good enough for 81 points and sixth last in the National Hockey League.

Luckily for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville's goaltender Pekka Rinne went down with a lower body injury in the last few weeks of the 2014-2015 regular season. Rinne's injury was a big reason why Nashville finished the year off with a 34-37-11 record, good enough for fourth last in the National Hockey League.

The Leafs and new General Manager Kyle Dubas, who acquired Nashville's pick near the trade deadline in exchange for Joffery Lupul and Cody Franson, are sitting pretty heading into the 2015 National Hockey League Entry Draft as they will most likely have the Fourth and Sixth Overall picks respectively.

So, will the Toronto Maple Leafs finally be able to answer the many questions surrounding their franchise and solve their draft woes? Or will their demons, and lack of success in the past, continue to haunt them on draft day and into next season?

Look for a complete pre-draft breakdown on Sunday during Insider Trading on Sportscentre, at TSN.ca, or from The Hockey News as Central Scouting Services final draft rankings are released tomorrow.

Trade Overviews

Toronto Acquires:

Goaltender Jusse Saros (73 Overall Medium AHL Starter Potential)
A 2015 First Round Draft Pick (NSH)

Nashville Acquires:

Left Winger Joffery Lupul (86 Overall Exact Top Six Forward Potential)
Defensemen Cody Franson (83 Overall Exact Top Four Defensemen Potential)

Toronto Acquires:

Defensemen Shayne Gotisbehere (74 Overall High Top Four Defensemen Potential)

Philadelphia Acquires:
Goaltender James Reimer (85 Overall Medium NHL Starter Potential)
A 2016 Third Round Draft Pick (TOR)